Ridderstrom rallies to win Valley Forge Invitational
Swede sets course record, claims first Symetra Tour win
LIMERICK » With the coaching staff of the Swedish Women’s National Team on hand, native daughter Louise Ridderstrom scorched Raven’s Claw Golf Club on Saturday’s final round to win the inaugural $100,000 Valley Forge Invitational in convincing fashion.
The 25-year-old from Stocksund, Sweden established a competitive course-record 63 to catch and ultimately pass second round leader Laura Wearn and capture the first LPGA-Symetra Tour victory of her career. Her 54-hole total at 16-under-par 197 wound up four shots clear of runner ups Wearn, who hails from North Carolina, and Min-G Kim of South Korea.
“It was very nice that I could handle it very well (Saturday),” said Ridderstrom, who played and is a graduate of UCLA. “I am very proud of myself for doing that.
“I told myself if I am going to win this thing, I don’t want anybody else to mess up – I want to earn it.”
It certainly played out that way as Ridderstrom seized sole possession of the lead, and then proceeded to extended it with clutch birdies on three of the final five holes. And after coaxing in a symbolic birdie on 18, Ridderstrom was mobbed by four other Swedish players who all finished among the top-25.
She also received hugs from National Team head coach Patrick Johnson, trainer K.J. Nissen and mental coach Marcus Borgesson. Usually on the LPGA Tour with Sweden stars like Pernilla Lindberg and Anna Nordqvist, the team leadership had planned this trip to Montgomery County about six months ago.
“Everybody wants to show the coaches that we are here and we are good,” said Ridderstrom, who has been on the team since age 12. “It was huge that they were here.
“For me, it was huge to have our mental coach (Borgesson) here. I’ve worked with him for a few months now. Having him here this week was very important to me.”
Saturday’s result may wind up being a life-changing victory for Ridderstrom. The top-10 on the money list of the LPGA’s official developmental tour at season’s
end will earn an exemption into the LPGA Tour for 2019. The first-place check was for $15,000 and could go a long way toward getting Ridderstrom the highly sought-after LPGA card.
“It could be but still we have a long season left,” she pointed out. “It’s nice to see that I have the potential of winning here.
“I told myself that I am going to do my best, and if that’s enough, then it’s enough.”
With six birdies in her first 10 holes, Ridderstrom raced to the lead. She had a rare setback with a bogey at No. 11 – her first since the fifth hole of round one - and gave up a share of the lead to Wearn very briefly at 13-under. But Ridderstrom regained first place for good with a birdie on 14 and then moved two shots ahead with another at 16 on a putt from about 22 feet.
“I had a feeling that putt was huge,” she said.
The birdie at 18 was just icing on the cake.
“Winning is very hard, and there are a lot of good girls out here on this tour,” Ridderstrom said. “You need to have some luck to it. I told myself that if it was my turn, it was my turn.”
Wearn made up for a lackluster start by driving the green and carding an eagle on the par-4 eighth. She added birdies at 10 and 13, but then dropped 3 shots back with a 3-putt bogey at 16.
“I didn’t hit a good second putt at all. I’d like to have that shot back,” Wearn said.
The long-hitting Wearn nearly drove the green again at the 382-yard 18th, but Ridderstrom
had already pulled too far in front.
“I didn’t have my best game (Saturday) but Louise went out and won it,” said Wearn, who won a Symetra Tour event in 2016. “This was a good learning experience. I’ve been in the last group a few times so as long as I keep putting myself in this position, hopefully I’ll get another win.”
Kim’s final round 66 was bogey-free and helped her move up seven spots and into second place with Wearn at 12-under 201. Four others – Americans Jenny Coleman and Demi Runas, Sweden’s Jenny Haglund and England’s Charlotte Thomas – were bunched at 11-under 202 and shared fourth place. TOURNAMENT EXPECTED TO RETURN TO RAVEN’S CLAW IN 2019 » The first LPGA-affiliated tournament to be held in the region in 14 years is expected to return to the Symestra Tour schedule next year and likely through 2020.
“The intent when we worked with the LPGASymetra guys was to bring it here to Raven’s Claw for three years,” said Rachel Riley, Communications Director for the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board. “They wanted to see how the first year goes and make sure it was a success.
“We learned a lot and now we can move forward. I know Raven’s Claw wants it back for the next two years. And we look forward to it being back in Montgomery County.”
In all, nearly half of the 132 player field wound up